Approaches

• What is the procedure of introspection?


  1) Make participants focus on a particular stimulus which is an everyday object (metronome)

  2) Than asked people to write down their thoughts and feelings and look inwards to analyse in terms of components
• What are two weaknesses of the biological approach?

  The biological approach is determinist in that it sees behaviour as governed by internal biological processes.This could have issues for our legal system as one of the rules of law is that offenders are seen as morally responsible for their actions. If it is shown that a gene can cause criminal behaviour it could complicate things.This is a weakness because ethical issues may occur as it is not fair to screen everyone to see if they have a pre-disposition to the criminality gene and punish those who do even if they have not committed a crime.However, understanding what the gene is could mean more support could be provided so the avoid Enviromental situations that increase the chance of them becoming a serial killer.Another weakness is twin studies assume MZ and DZ twins share the same environment and, in many cases, MZ environments are more alike than they are in DZ twins.MZ twins tend to be treated more similarly by their parents and other people than DZ twins as they are identical.This is a weakness because biological explanations are unlikely to be complete explanations of our behaviour.
• What are two strengths of the biological approach?

  The biological approach uses range of highly precise and scientific methods to investigate behaviour.For example, twin studies, drug trials, fMRIs and lab experiments all take place in controlled environments showing the are highly scientific.This is a strength because it suggests the approach is based on reliable and objective data and the approach also contributes positively to the credibility and status of psychology as a science.The biological approach provides clear predictions which has led it to be applicable in the real world.For example, research into the neurochemical imbalance in the 5-hTT gene in people with depression has led to the Devlopment of drug treatments to help minimise symptoms.This is a strength because it means people who suffer with depression have the ability to live a normal life rather than remain in hospital and this supports the external validity.However, it is reductionist due to behaviour being a lot more complex
• What does "concordance rate" mean?


  A percentage to show how many pairs of twins share the characteristic being studied.
• What two ways does the

  biological approachuse to study behaviour?1-Comparative methodThis is when animals are studies and conclusions are generalised to humans.2-Twin studiesAllows us to assess whether a characteristic is genetic or environmental.
• What is sexual selection?


  The idea of physical characteristics or behaviours that make an individual more attractive are likes to increase reproductive rates and pass on the attractive feature.
• What is evolution?

  When the genetic make-up of the population changes over successive generations individuals within a species in terms of their physical and behavioural traits.
• What is a phenotype?


  Observable traits or characteristics shown by an individual
• What is a genotype?

  Genotypes refer to an individuals make-up .
• What are the assumptions of the biological approach? (PEAM)


  - A perspective that emphases the importance of physical processes

  - Everything psychological has an innate biological bases

  - Mind and brain are the same thing (different to cognitive approach)

  - We can use animal research
• What are weaknesses of the cognitive approach?

  The cognitive approach compares the brain to computer and suggests they are similar when the brain is more complex.For example all the key terms from the computer model are borrowed directly from computing despite humans not being computers and having emotions which play key roles in memory and humans makes mistakes.This is a weakness because it means the cognitive approach is reductionist as it does not take into account emotions to help our mental processes.A problem with the cognitive approach is that many studies to do with neuroscience lack ecological validity.For example memory tests that take place in controlled environments are not like anything people would endure in the real life.This is a weakness because having low levels of ego logical validity meanings findings cannot be generalised to the real world.
• What are the strengths of the cognitive approach?

  The cognitive approach emphasises the scientific approach to studying psychology.An example of this is cognitive neuroscience where they use fMRI to take photos of the brain to see which areas are active so scientists can figure out the role of each brain part.This is a strength because having scientific evidence suggests the cognitive approach has high internal validity and brains scans can be checked for reliability.A strength is it has real world application as it can be used in in cognitive behavioural therapy.For example, it can be used to help patients with depression as it challenges irrational thoughts .This is a strength because it has high external validity and could increase the quality of someone’s life.
• What are applications of cognitive neuroscience?

  - Use if scanning/imaging techniques (fMRI)

  - Use of scanning/ imagine techniques to study patients with depression or OCD

  - Use if eye-tracking to study visual word processing and reading
• What is cognitive neuroscience?

  The scientific study of brain/neurological structures, mechanisms, processes, chemistry that are responsible for cognitive processes
• What is stores?


  To hold different chunks of information
• What is output?

  Observable behaviour
• What is input?

  Information is coded as neutral connections in the brain and processed
• What is coding?

  To turn information into a useful format
• What is the central processing unit?

  The brain
• What is a computer model?

  When computer analogies are used as a representation of human cognition suggesting that there is similarities in the way information is processed.
• What are assumptions of the cognitive approach (BIIM)

  - Behaviour is influenced by thoughts that can be conscious and unconscious

  - Internal processes (memory, attention, language, thinking and problem-solving) can and should be studied scientifically

  - Models are used to create testable theories about mental processes

  - Inferences are made of observable behaviour
• What are strengths and weaknesses of schemas?


  STRENGTH

  - Helps us too process lots of information quickly which prevents us from getting overwhelmed by environmental stimuli.

  WEAKNESS

  - Exclude anything that doesn't fit into our established ideas of the world therefore stereotypes form and they are difficult to get rid off

  - Distort our interpretations of sensory information leading to perceptual errors
• How do schemas develop?

  From experiences and they help us make sense of information.

  - Babies are born with basic schema's (simple motor movements)

  - As we developed our schemas become more detailed and sophisticated
• What are inferences?


  Going beyond immediate evidence to make assumptions about mental processes that cannot be directly obtained.
• What is a Schema?


  A bank of knowledge about people, places and things.
• What are internal mental processes?

  Human thought patterns
• What is the Cognitive Approach?

  A theory of mental processes to explain behaviour
• What are weaknesses of social learning theory?

  A weakness of social learning theory is that it only takes into account external factors and does not take into account biological factors.For example, in Banduras studies it was found that boys were more aggressive than girls and this could be a biological difference such as hormones, but this is ignored.This is a weakness because it suggests social learning theory is reductionist.A weakness of social learning is that it doesn't explain behaviours that are not observed.For example, Jeffrey Dahmer didn't observe people cut up other people he decided to do that himself.This is a weakness because it suggests the theory cannot explain everyone's behaviour.
• What are strengths of social learning theory?

  Social learning theory relies on experimental methods using controlled conditions.For example, in Bandura's study he was able to manipulate the IV (role models aggressive or non-aggressive behaviour) and measure the effects on the DV (child's behaviour).This is a strength because it suggests Bandura's study has high internal validity meaning it can be used to support the theory accurately.Social learning theory has been successfully applied too many areas of psychology.For example, it can help treat anxiety disorders by showing a role model interacting happily with the phobia.This is a strength because it supports the external validity of the theory meaning that the principles of the study are useful to explain a wide variety of behaviour.
• Reproduction?

  Consideration of our own ability to perform the behaviour
• Retention?

  Remembering the behaviour so that they can do the same
• Attention?

  Noticing and paying attention to the behaviour of the person they want to imitate
• Motivation?


  The will or desire to perform the behaviour
• What are meditational processes?


  They are cognitive process that occur between the stimulus (observation of role models behaviour) and the response (imatations).
• What is vicarious reinforcement?

  Learning through observing someone receive a reward or consequence for their behaviour.
• What is social leaning theory?


  Learning through observations
• What was the aim, method, results and conclusion of

  Bandura's bobo doll study?Aim - To see if children would imitate aggressive behaviour that a role model (adult) produced.

  Method -

  36 boys and 36 girls were split into different conditions and in one condition children were shown an aggressive role model and in the other condition children were shown a non-aggressive role model. There was also a control group to see how children would respond to the bobo doll with no role model. The aggressive role model would interact with the bobo doll in aggressive ways.

  After observing a role model the children would go into the room and it would be recorded how they reacted.

  Results -

  Children who saw a role model were more aggressive than the control group.

  Conclusion -

  Bandura's study provides evidence social learning theory as it showed children potentially learn aggression through role models.
• What are assumptions of

  social learning theory?- There are important mental processes that lie in-between the presence of a stimulus and a response.

  - Behaviour is learnt from experiences

  - Learning occurs from observing role models receive a reward for their actions

  - Focuses on human behaviour not animals
• What are the weaknesses of the behaviourist approach?

  In the behaviourist approach animals and humans are seen to be very similar.For example, Skinner's research used rats and Pavlov's used dogs and the findings were both generalised to humans.This is a weakness because animals and humans may be more different than we think so generalise findings from animals to humans may not be correct.The behaviourists have been accused of ignoring other factors effecting how we learn.For example cognitive factors or emotional states that also effect how we learn.This is a weakness as ignoring other factors means this approach may be reductionist.
• What are strengths of the behaviourist approach?

  The principles of conditioning have been applied to real life settings.Treating phobias as teaching people to associate their phobias and relaxation. Prision rehabilitation can use PR to encourage prisoners to repeat pro-social behaviours.This is a strength because it has high external validity as we can use classical and operant conditioning to improve people's lives.Skinner used experimental methods using controlled conditions.For example, he used the skinner box which enabled him to manipulate the independent variable and measure the dependent.This is a strength because it enables researchers to establish cause and effect and has high internal validity.